Build and maintain a zoo in this fun, educational game.
What child has never imagined owning an exotic animal? Well, now they can! What is even better is that house space and litter boxes aren't even involved!
For the PC, Zoo Tycoon 2: Zookeeper Collection combines the original Zoo Tycoon 2 game with the Zoo Tycoon 2 specials: Endangered Species and African Adventures. These extras add more animals and zoo options to the game.
The player becomes the zookeeper of any one of a variety of zoos, from the Arctic Tundra to a grassland zoo in the Midwest. Once the zoo location is chosen, a zoo must be built. Proper fencing to house the animals, proper food, and proper toys are all important to know as you set up each animal exhibit. Once each animal in settled, proper care must be taken of them. They can become ill, or need a wash, or perhaps a good habitat cleaning.
And don't forget the zoo patrons, either! They will come, and will need restrooms, food stands, and some extra entertainment. Keeping customers and animals happy is a big job, but someone has to do it!
There are many types of games to play on a computer. Some merely pass the time while others offer some kind of educational opportunity. Zoo Tycoon 2 is one of the latter. There are many things that can be learned from this game.
- Biomes - Players become familiar with this word. The whole environment is biome-based, from the location of the zoo to the needs of each animal. If the proper biome (land/weather, plants, trees) is not established for an exhibit, the animals will not be happy. Luckily there is a "biome brush" that allows you to place the type of environment needed. You can also access zookeeper recommendations for each animal that include environmental tips. Biomes included in the game are Alpine, Boreal Forest, Desert, Grasslands, Savannah, Scrub, Temperate Forest, Tropical Forest, Tundra and Wetlands. That provides a lot of learning opportunities!
- Animals - The main attraction of any zoo is the animals. Without proper treatment and care, animals will not thrive in a zoo. As animals breed and their space gets crowded, some animals may be placed for adoption or released into the wild. Releasing an animal back to the wild earns your zoo more praise, especially if these are endangered animals. Your job in this game is to learn about each animal and their particular needs in order to care for them. There are many needs of the animals: enough space, proper environment (biome), proper food, proper stimulation (toys), proper balance of enough companionship, and health. The Zoopedia helps. This button, shaped like a book, leads you to a brief encyclopedia-like reading of each animal. There you can learn about their natural habitats, mannerisms, and other facts. The more you know about your animals, the more successful you will be.
- Planning and Design - Thought must be given to the layout of the zoo and the layout of each exhibit. Mistakes will be made, but these mistakes help you learn the importance of planning. For example, starting to build an exhibit by laying fences without looking at the larger space, may find your space too cramped. Perhaps you did not notice that there was not enough room to begin with! A little thought and care help your zoo design work for animals and humans alike.
- Responsibility - Caring for a whole zoo is a lot of work. As the zookeeper, you are the one responsible for the happiness of all. Pay attention to the top of the screen, where you will receive messages concerning your zoo and everyone in it. You might learn that Ring-Tailed Lemur 14 has given birth (again!), or that Hippo 1 is hungry (feed him), or that your guests want more dessert choices. Learning how to balance needs with wants is a tricky business.
The game can be played in several modes. Some require you to start small with a limited budget and unlock animals and biomes as rewards for good play. The freeform mode lets you begin with an unlimited budget and all animals and biomes available, This is a great way to learn the basics of the game. Also of note are two special modes.
- Zoo Guest Mode - Lets you see things as a guest or a staff members. You see through their "eyes" as you travel around the zoo. In this mode you can also take over duties like emptying trash cans, cleaning and feeding animals, even sweeping up poo in the exhibits! (Animals do not like dirty environments)
- Photo Safari - Take pictures for your album. Capture great animal moments in this mode. These photos can then be placed in a photo album and shared with your zoo patrons.
Zoo Tycoon 2:Zookeeper Collection is rated Everyone-Everyone 10+. Very young children may have a more difficult time with it on their own. Children as young as five can get the hang of the game rather quickly, with perhaps someone to help them read from time to time. Overall, this game captures the imagination and provides hours of fun, with learning as an added bonus.
